What is the Official Receiver?

When there are insufficient assets to fund the appointment of a professional liquidator, the Official Receiver will run the procedure and wind up the company’s affairs. The Official Receiver is an insolvency practitioner, and also a civil servant employed by the Insolvency Service, which is a part of the government. The Official Receiver must carry out the same investigations into the conduct of the directors as a liquidator would.

The Official Receiver is also appointed to insolvent individuals where there are not enough assets of the individual to fund the appointment of a Trustee in Bankruptcy.